Strap wrench



Sept. 20, 1955 G, R. HoLLENBx-:CK

STRAP WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 23, 1953 INVENToR. Gera/d F?. HO//e/vbec/v Nv. wN L@ 4/ NM.. V

Sept. 20, 1955 G. R. HOLLENBECK STRAP WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 23, 1953 uw. No

' INVENTOR.

@era/o Ho//e/vbec/v United States Patent() STRAP WRENCH Gerald R. Hollenbeck, Abilene, Kans.

Application June 23, 1953, Serial No. 363,457

3 Claims. (Cl. 81-65) on the work in one direction only and thus produce the equivalent of a ratchet wrench.

Another object vis to selectivelyv determine ythe direction in which the work is to be turned.

The aboveand other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features atubular body, a handle carried by the body for rocking movement adjacent one end thereof, a jaw carrier mounted in said body for reception therein, a jaw carried by a jaw carrier and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent the endthereof remote from the handle, a strap carried by the tubular body and'extending around the jaw for cooperation therewith in embracing work and clamping it against the jaw, and means vcarried by the handle and operatively connected to the jaw carrier for reciprocating said jaw carrier and alternately tightening and loosening the strap about work seated in the jaw as the handle rocks relative to the tubular body.

Other features include a stem carried by the jaw carrier and extending longitudinally therefrom into the handle, a link adjustably carried by the handle and pivotally coupled to the stem for reciprocating the jaw carrier relative to the tubular body and alternately tightening and loosening the strap about work seated in the jaw, and a sheath threadedly engaged with the handle for adjustment longitudinally on the handle adjacent the end thereof remote from the tubular body, a stud carried by the sheath and extending into the handle toward the tubular body, and a tongue swivelly mounted in the stud to rotate about the longitudinal axis thereof and said stud being coupled to the link for reciprocating the jaw carrier relative to the tubular body and alternately tightening and loosening the strap about work seated in the jaw.

Still other features include ends for selectively controlling the path of movement of the handle relative to the tubular body to regulate the direction in which the work is turned, said means comprising circumferentially spaced interengageable arcuate hinge barrels carried by the ends and the body and by the handle, and an arcuate hinge pin mounted in the hinge barrels for movement in an arcuate path through selected hinge barrels to pivotally join the handle to the body on the side thereof that will produce the direction of motion of the work that is desired.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a wrench embodying the features of this invention;

l 2,718,166 Patented sept. zo, 1955 ICE Figure 2 is a side view of the wrench illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary viewfof the wrench on an enlarged scale showing portions thereof in section more clearly to illustrate certain details of construction;

Figure 4is a view similar to Figure 3 of the opposite end of the wrench;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 6 6 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the hinge pin in a different position;

Referring to the drawings in detail, a tubular body 10 has mounted therein for movement longitudinally a wrench jaw carrier 12 carrying adjacent one end the substantially V-shaped wrench `jaw 14 carrying on opposite sides inner and outer longitudinally spaced guides 16 and 13 respectively through which opposite ends of a strap 20 are threaded to form a loop which cooperates with ythe V-shaped jaw 14 in enclosing `and clamping work W. Formed in the strap 20 adjacent opposite ends are openings 22 for the reception of hooks 24 carried by the tubular body 10` adjacent the end thereof adjacent the wrench head 14. The end of the tubular body 10 remote from the hooks 24 is provided with circumferentially spaced arcuate hinge barrels 26 in the bore 28 one of which is mountedfor movement in an arcuate path, an arcuate-hinge pin 30 which, as is illustrated in Figure 6, is preferably formed of two Separate arcuate sections joined together by a threaded sleeve 32. As illustrated in Figures l, 6 and 7, the top surface of the hingepbarrel 26 lcontaining the bore 28 is flattened as at 34.` to expose the threaded socket 32 which forms a handleby means of which the hinge pin 30 is shifted in the bore 28.. A stem 36 is carried by the jaw carrier 12 and projects longitudinally.therefrom throughvthe end of ythevbody 10 carrying the hinge barrels 26.

A handle member designated generally 38 comprises a tubular body 40 carrying adjacent one end diametrically opposed outwardly extending ears 42 having openings 44 extending therethrough which are adapted to register with the arcuate bores 28 in the hinge barrels 26 to receive opposite ends of the arcuate hinge pin 30, as illustrated in Figure 6, when the handle is held in axial alignment with the body 10. Obviously, when the handle is to be rocked relative to the body 10, the hinge pin 30 is shifted, as illustrated in Figure 7, so that one end thereof extends through an opening 44 while the opposite end clears the opening 44 in the opposite side of the handle member and thus permits the handle member to rock, as suggested in Figure 3, relative to the body 16. The handle member 40 is externally screwthreaded as at 46 for the major portion of its length from the end thereof remote from the ears 42 and threadedly engaged with the threads 46 is a sheath 48 carrying a stud 5i) which extends into the handle member and is provided adjacent its end remote from its connection with the sheath 48 with a bore 52 having longitudinally spaced grooves 54 opening thereinto for the reception of spring rings 56 which are carried by a tongue 58. The tongue 58 is extended into the recess S2 and locked therein by the spring rings 56, in order to establish a swivel connection between the tongue and the stud 5t). A link 6l) is pivotally connected to the tongue 58 and to the stern 36 so that as the handle 38 moves about the arcuate pivot pin 30 longitudinal motion will be transmitted from the handle 38 to the jaw carrier 12 to thereby cause relative motion between the jaw 14 and band 20 to alternately tighten and loosen the grip of the band and jaw member on the work W.

By rotating the sheath 48 about the handle 40, it is evident that the stud will be moved longitudinally within the handle 40 to thereby regulate the position of the jaw 14 relative to the loop 20 so that work of different sizes may be securely held by the wrench. Obviously, the direction. in which the work is turned isV governed by the position of the hinge pin 30 in the bore 28 with relation to the ears 42. It will thus be seen that by shifting the hinge pin 30 to a selected position in the bore 28, the wrenchmay be used either as a right hand or a left hand ratchet wrench for either tightening or loosening a piece of work.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is: v

l. A wrench comprising a tubular body, a handle pivoted to the body for rocking movement adjacent one end thereof,y a jaw carrier mounted in said body for reciprocal movement therein, a jaw carried by the jaw carrier and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the handle, a strap carried by the tubular body and extending around the jaw for cooperation therewith in embracing work and clamping it against the jaw, a stem carried by the jaw carrier and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the jaw, said stem extending into the handle, and means carried by the handle and operatively connected tothe stem for reciprocating the jaw carrier relative to the tubular body and alternately tightening and loosening the strap about work seated in the jaw as the handle rocks relative to the tubular body.

2. A wrench comprising a tubular body, a handle pivoted to the body for rocking movement adjacent one end thereof, a jaw carrier mounted in said body for reciprocal movement therein, a jaw carried by the jaw carrier and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the handle, a strap carried by the tubular body and extending around the jaw for cooperation therewith in embracing work and clamping it against the jaw, a stem carried by the jaw carrier and vvextending longitudinally therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from. the jaw, said stem extending into the handle, a link adjustably carried by the handle and pivotally coupled to the stem for reciprocating the jaw carrier relative to the tubular body and alternately tighten ing and loosening the strap about work seated in the jaw as the handle is rocked relative to the body.

3. A wrench comprising a tubular body, a handle pivoted to the body for rocking movement adjacent one end thereof, a jaw carrier mounted in said body for reciprocal movement therein, a jaw carried by the jaw carrier and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the handle, a strap carried by the tubular body and extending around the jaw for cooperation therewith in embracing work and clamping it against the jaw, a stem carried by the jaw carrier and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the jaw, said stem extending into the handle, a sheath threadedly engaged with the handle for adjustment longitudinally on the handle adjacent the end thereof remote from the tubular body, a stud carried by the sheath and extending into the handle toward the tubular body, a tongue swivelly mounted in the stud to rotate about the longitudinal axis thereof,and a link pivotally connected to the tongue and to the stem for reciprocating the jaw carrier relative to the tubular body and alternately tightening and loosening the strap about work seated in tbe jaw as the handle is rocked relative to the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,090,506 Sprague Mar. 17, 1914 1,417,390 Krumsick May 23, 1922 2,094,238 Koenig Sept. 28, 1937 l2,349,711 Faithful May 23, 1944 2,365,627 Cook Dec. 19, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 163,690 Austria July 25, 1949 

